"Greatness hasn't really changed him"- Elvin Hayes reminisced about being around Kobe Bryant when he was a kid
Elvin Hayes and Kobe Bryant share more connections than most fans might realize. Before the "Black Mamba's" final game in Houston, Hayes reflected on his memories with Bryant and his father, Joe, highlighting their long-standing relationship.
"The Big E" spent his last three NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, where he was a teammate of "Jellybean" in the 1982-83 campaign. That year was the elder Bryant's last in the Association as he pursued a pro basketball career in Italy. Nonetheless, the two had a good enough relationship to hang out together along with their families. That's how Elvin got to spend time with Kobe.
"I've known Kobe since he was a baby," Hayes said, per Chron. "His dad and I played together. He's just a tremendous guy. Greatness hasn't really changed him. He's a super great player and a great person. It was just an opportunity I couldn't miss to see him play his final game in Houston."
"I just saw him crawling around playing with my little son. I never thought he'd grow up to be one of the greatest players ever to play basketball. It's great for me to see the young man and the great player that he became," the 1978 NBA champion added.
Kobe's last three games
Kobe's career was down to the last three games when the interview was done. These were games that meant nothing record-wise, but as far as NBA fans are concerned, following Bryant's swan songs meant more than anything.
Kobe scored 35 points in 27 minutes against Houston on April 10, 2016. The Lakers were obliterated by 20, but he did turn the clock back a bit. The NBA legend went to the free throw line 11 times, reminiscent of his young self, and drilled four three-pointers.
In the next game, the Purple and Gold faced the Oklahoma City Thunder, but didn't have the slightest chance against Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and got blown out by 33, 112-79. The five-time champ scored 13 points in just under 19 minutes.
Then it was down to one last outing, and Kobe fittingly put on a show. He came out firing and dropped 60 points against the Utah Jazz, the most by any NBA player in his last game. The 18-time All-Star's teammates knew it was Kobe's night and got out of the way. Bryant scored 15 of his team's final 17 points, including the go-ahead bucket that sealed the deal. The Lakers won 101-96.
Surpassing Hayes on all-time scoring list
Kobe scored over 2,000 points eight times from 2001-02 until 2012-13. That's why it was only a matter of time before the 15-time All-NBA climbed the all-time leaderboard in the most points scored.
In February 2011, "Vino" overtook Hayes, previously at seventh, on the all-time scoring list.
Now, Bryant is firmly number the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history on the all-time scoring list behind LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Karl Malone. Hayes (27,313) fell to the 12th spot and could end up a few slots lower with other standouts on his heels. For instance, James Harden (25,885) only needed less than 2,000 points to leapfrog the "Bionic Man," and Stephen Curry, who has over 23,000 points, will eventually get there.
